Leaving Koch behind
For the past 40 years, certain laboratory mice in Australia and the US have been unexpectedly dying in middle age, but the cause has remained elusive. A novel member of the parvovirus family appears to be the culprit.
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Herpes simplex virus and Alzheimer€™s disease
Alois Alzheimer was the first to propose that an infection might play a role in the disease named after him. Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) has been most frequently linked to Alzheimer€™s Disease (AD), and a clinical trial is in progress to determine if antivirals ameliorate its development. What is the evidence that HSV-1 …
Viral Defenses In Plantae
By Gertrud U. Rey Post-transcriptional gene silencing (PTGS) is an RNA regulation pathway in eukaryotes that depends on the presence of double stranded RNA (dsRNA) in the cytoplasm of cells. As stated by Nels Elde in TWiEVO 8, dsRNA in the cytoplasm has an effect synonymous to “blood in the water” for the innate immune …
A new drug for influenza
A new drug has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of influenza. Called Xofluza (baloxavir carboxyl), it is the first influenza drug approved in 20 years with a new mechanism of action. How does Xofluza work? Influenza virus particles contain (-) RNAs, which means that they cannot be translated …
A cell RNA that regulates innate immunity
All immune responses, from intrinsic to adaptive, need to be regulated – if left on indefinitely they will damage the host. The innate immune response is no exception, and a cellular RNA has been identified that binds to a sensor of viral RNA and regulates the production of interferon (IFN).
Influenza vaccine is safe for those with egg allergies
With the influenza season approaching in the northern hemisphere, vaccination is a means of preventing infection. If you have egg allergies, you no longer have to worry about receiving influenza vaccine. Because most influenza vaccines are grown in embryonated chicken eggs, and may contain residual egg protein, their use in individuals with egg allergy has …
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